Chuck,
blindzebra was just being a little patronizing.
...Maybe practicing to be a parent.
...Maybe has a daughter in Junior high.
...Maybe an assignor. :)
mick

Chuck,
I think blindzebra is talking about the funky stuff that happens in a 7th grade game. He would have to confirm this...but I think he is refering to some play that might happen and an official might not know how to administer said play in the lower level game. He might be saying he would rather learn the correct procedure in the 7th grade girls game than in the 4A Boys State Championship Final Game. Just a thought.

...Makes sense. :)

That is exactly what I was saying.

No to all of that.

I am talking about two things and I'm not patronizing.

These kids deserve good officials, the inexperienced officials working these games can use you as a mentor, and I was talking about one of those plays that become a 15 page thread on this forum.

Perhaps reading it in context would help. I used weird stuff and play being not so great just before once in a lifetime play.;)

If you still don't get what I mean, I'm talking about that once in a lifetime play, that turns into a 15 page thread on this forum.

I enjoy working Jr Hi girls ball. As long as it's not the only thing I do. I'm with y'all about seeing them move up. There's a lot of pleasure in watching them grow and learn.

The parent stuff IS pretty annoying, though. But it's still not as bad as the parent stuff at the middle of the JV or Varsity pack. I think the worst fans in the world are at the games where the girls are almost, but not quite able to be stars. 6th grade girls' parents aren't even in the same league... so to speak!

Still makes sense. :)
mick

Daryl Long ('The Preacher') and I officiate quite a bit of boys' and girls' jr. H.S. basketball. The bkb. off. assn. (which we have served as officers and officiating class instructors) assigns the officials for six schools. The reasons we do the games are many.

1) We both have the ability to officiate games that start between 04:00pm and 04:30pm. Games starting at these times are difficult to officate.

2) Our association assigns many of these games to our first year officials, thus giving us a chance to officiate with our students and help them.

3) As a previous poster has already said that many times one will see a weird play (sometimes many times over) that will only been seen once in a blue moon at the H.S. freshmen level and above. Rather see it here for the first time, instead of being suprised at an upper level game. I guess you could say that we use the games as paid practice.

3) Along the lines of using the games as a paid practice, one learns to see the whole play and to practice developing good judgement. While no one wants to make a mistake at any level, seeing a weird play and making a mistake at the jr. H.S. level, is less damaging in the scheme of life than one at the varsity or college level. One also sees much creative footwork and dribbling skills and jr. H.S. is great practice for judging these items.

4) The game fees are between $50 and $55 for a DH, which is the same as H.S. varsity game fee. While we give the schools a 100% professional effort, one does not have to run quite as hard up and down the court on a fastbreak during a jr. H.S. as one has to during a H.S. or college game. Besides, I like making the same game fee as a varsity game while getting home far earlier in the evening than if I were officiating a varsity game. I guess I am just getting old and would rather be home when the kids go to bed at night.

MTD, Sr.

To be completely honest, (you know this is always followed by a line of bull) I love working with a new official on 4th-6th grade games because they will learn what a jump ball is real fast and they can also learn that it's a good idea to keep up with it because there will be so many that the table will surely mess up the arrow. They will also learn that ugly doesn't necessarily mean it's a violation. Even still, given the choice, I'll take the upper level game every time.

Good grammar school basketball story ...

I'm lead and a A1 takes a three-point shot from the top of the key. I don't see what happens next because I'm watching play in the lane. But apparently, B1 crushes A1 some time after A1 releases the ball, causing A1 to go down. A1 is injured, so now there's a delay.

Coach of Team A seems to know the rules pretty well. He asks my partner why he wasn't watching the airborne shooter until his shot attempt was completed, obviously a good question. My partner tells him he did watch.

Coach of Team A then asks my partner why his player isn't getting a three-shot free throw. My partner tells him that the contact occurred well after the shot attempt was completed.

So then, coach of Team A asks my partner why his team isn't getting the ball for a non-shooting foul since my partner basically admitted that there was a foul, but that it occurred after the shot was completed. My partner, who has no answer for the coach, decides to give him a technical foul instead.

After the game, my partner tells me he hates when coaches don't know the rules. So, of course, I shot right back, saying I don't like it when my partner doesn't know the rules.

Eek!

Just as a suggestion, eastcoast, that's a good time to work your way into a discussion of what the rule(s) actually are (if you couldn't come in and help during the injury) so that your partner can get better rather than throwing the comment at him, which will probably leave the both of you bitter.

Just a thought.

Since you did not see it, how do you know what contact and who caused it? Just because there was contact and A1 got injured does not mean B1 caused it and committed a foul.

Perhaps you need to brush up on those rules too.;)

Maybe I should clarify. My partner actually used these terms to the coach: "Coach, the player barrelled into your kid after his shot was finished." To me, that was admitting that A1 was fouled, even though my partner chose not to call it.

So use that as an opportunity to tactfully explain that it's a non-shooting foul rather than being saying something antagonistic like, "I hate it when my partner doesn't know the rules." You could have helped him out but you decided to be sarcastic instead.

Z